I have written several unpublished short stories which usually tie in with my table top miniature wargaming and my D&D games. I have just purchased enough figures to start my Basti warband and I thought the below short fragment would do as an introduction to my warband. As their story unfolds so too will the papryus roll as well as pictures of the band.

Thanks,


~Bast~

Ammon-Ra, the sun god traveled crossed the heavens over 60 times since the war bands departure from Kom Ombos which lay far to the south near the headwaters of the mighty Nile in the borderlands of the Kush. The Harbinger Ariel; known as the “Claw of Retribution” by his followers, the “Flayer” by his enemies, and lastly the “Lion of Bast” by the Goddess herself kept the river to his right as they traveled north. Many times they traveled across country completely out of sight of the life blood of Agyptus when the Nile wandered east or west in mighty loops Ariel unerringly brought them back to the river thus cutting untold furlongs from their journey as they left southern Agyptus far behind.

They or rather Ariel in a self imposed exile left the city of Kom Ombos and it’s corrupt High Priesthood who ruled over the lord of the city. He was hard pressed on whom he despised more, the Thoth lord Akh-Akheku, governor of Kom Ombos and self appointed grand vizier of the Southern Kingdom of Agyptus or the Children of Set, Nekhebet, or minions of “The Eaters of the Dead.” Rather than break the Code of Ma’at and kill the entire corrupt High Priesthood which included his own High Priest whom sided more and more with the stiff necked Thoth each day. So with the farsighted advice of his beloved Djeserit, one of the lesser priests within the Bast temple of Khafre whose wisdom had saved him more than once from falling prey to their corruption he left, taking his entire loyal war band with him including Djeserit who desired to follow in his prints rather than be left but not before they were attacked just beyond the city walls by the Thoth High Priest and his pet Harbinger. It was a bitter fought fight between the Thoth and their Nekhebeti allies and when it was over they slew them all as the power of Bast filled his soul and changed him completely. Ariel left the Thoth Harbinger’s head in a slop jar outside the gates of the city. The High Priest he took with him and he would have slain him at his leisure if not for Ma’at’s Code and Djeserit’s admonishment about breaking it. So the “Flayer” did no physical harm to the worthless piece of offal but allowed his war band to strip him of all his belongings and then they released him to run, walk, or crawl back across the hot burning sands to Kom Ombos with nothing but what he was born with, his unscarred but sun burned human flesh. It took him three days under the burning sun and Ariel let Ammon-Ra give out his own judgment and punishment upon the High Priest.

But that first encounter was 2 moons ago and his war band now rested along side the life giving blue Nile where he found a small walled village that boasted not one but two small but well kept temples to the Gods Sebeki and Bast whom the villagers honored above all else. It was beyond the memory of the eldest that any priest ever resided in the village much less visited and when they saw Djeserit they crowded around her declaring the need for a holiday and since it was nearly the 20th of Hethara which is the celebration of when Bast first appears to Ammon-Ra, it was only fitting that Djeserit officiate and by default became the villagers Priestess of Bast.

It was during the celebration that Sebeki came. How they learned that the villagers had left several leashed gazelles as offering just outside their own temple near the river’s edge remains a mystery. It had been Djeserit’s suggestion that perhaps it would be wise to make such an offering in hopes of reaping some reward. Thus the Sebeki came six strong Sebeki warriors and a Sebeki Beloved. After feasting on the gazelles their leader approached Ariel and when they heard that he intended to use the village as a base of operations against the lawless and corrupt enemies of Agyptus and The Eaters of the Dead that plagued the land of Agyptus they joined the war band.

Enemies of Agyptus beware; the “Claw of Retribution” has come.